Wingham Police would like to make the public aware of one of the many frauds going around the internet. A Wingham resident was browsing the internet when a pop-up appeared on his computer screen. The pop-up was an advertisement to make money as a “Secret Shopper†and appeared to be a lucrative offer where the company would pay to shop at major box stores and review the customer service.
After filling out the on line form, a letter was received in the mail, accompanied by a cheque for a large amount of money. The person was instructed in the letter to cash the cheque and keep his agreed upon amount plus spending money for “Secret Shopping†and send the rest by Western Union to two people in Atlanta, Georgia. The person immediately thought this suspicious and brought it to the police. A check revealed that the cheque was forged and the company named on the cheque deals with real estate not shopping surveys.
This is a very common scam and people are reminded not to send personal information over the internet unless you are sure of whom you are dealing with. Remember if the deal sounds too good to be true, it normally is not true. The majority of these scammers are not residents of Canada and it makes it difficult for Canadian law enforcement to prosecute. A web site with several brochures about scams is located at http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mcs/en/Pages/Information_Brochures.aspx
